1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to compressors for use in a refrigerating cycle of an automotive air conditioning system, and more particularly to compressors of a swash plate type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication 7-103138 shows a conventional swash plate type compressor which comprises a case with a cylindrical cylinder block, a drive shaft rotatably installed in the case, a swash plate rotated together with the drive shaft, a plurality of cylinders defined by the cylinder block, and a plurality of pistons respectively accommodated in the cylinders and reciprocatively driven by the swash plate. To a back side of the cylinder block, there is attached through a valve plate a cylindrical rear housing which has refrigerant intake and exhaust chambers formed therein.
For achieving a hermetical sealing between an annular flat end of the cylinder block and that of the rear housing, there is compressed therebetween a seal ring. The seal ring is received and compressed in an annular groove formed in the annular flat end of the cylinder block. The annular groove disclosed by the above-mentioned publication is an annular groove defined between inside and outside annular walls.
However, due to provision of such annular groove, the annular end of the cylinder block and thus that of the rear housing have unavoidably an increased thickness as measured in a radial direction, which causes a bulky and heavy construction of the compressor.